Thanks to the lotus outcome that is a penalty shootout, Santos return to Botswana’s top-flight football after a near six-year absence
GAZETTE REPORTER
Uniao Flamengo Santos overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit to beat fellow promotion hopefuls Motlakase Power Dynamos in the second leg of their promotional playoff, thus gaining promotion to the Botswana Premier League (BPL).
Santos won the second leg 2-1, thanks to goals from Lemogang Kgosi and Matthews Moruti at the Palapye Sports Complex this past weekend.
The 2-1 win resulted in an overall aggregate score of 2-2 that ultimately led to a penalty shootout to determine the Premier League’s new entrant.
Santos ahead at halftime
Santos took the lead through Kgosi in the 16th minute. The sides went to the halftime break with the 1-0 score line intact. Four minutes after the halftime interval, Santos doubled their lead as Matthews Moruti scored.
The 2-0 score line would have been enough to send Santos through to the Premier League in regulation time as they would have had a 2-1 aggregate lead.
Level at fulltime
However, the home side continued to push for a goal and were richly rewarded with Motlakase’s Kagiso Tsere scoring an important goal nine minutes shy of normal time to level matters in terms of the overall aggregate score of 2-2.
A penalty shootout followed to decide the match. Santos won the spot-kick contest 4-3 with Tumelo Sentle scoring the decisive fifth penalty to send his club to the Premier League. Santos missed only one penalty while Motlakase missed two.
Three new entrants
Santos are now back in the Botswana Premier League (BPL) after a near six-year absence. The club was relegated from the top tier of Botswana football in the 2017/18 season.
Santos will now join BPL newcomers Jwaneng Young Stars FC and Chadibe FC who joined the main league through automatic promotions from the National First Division South and North respectively.